Apopka IT director seeks $5.6 million for radios, cybersecurity and system upgrades

Robert Hippler, information technology director, told the City Council that the Information Technology Department’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget is $5,600,000.

Hippler said the largest single portion of the request is related to Motorola radio services used by police and fire, and that the Motorola line alone represents about $2,000,000 of the request. He said the department maintains the city’s network, phones, servers, firewalls and a citywide help desk and performs cybersecurity testing and phishing campaigns.

Why it matters: IT supports public-safety communications and many city services. Hippler warned rising contract and software-assurance costs are driving a 12.8% year-over-year increase in the IT budget and asked council to consider the longer-term impacts of multiyear maintenance agreements.

Key details: Hippler said the department operates with 11 authorized positions, supports a help desk that has handled more than 2,700 work orders since October 1, and provides GIS and website services. His presentation listed social-media follower growth and said the department completed the Fran Carlton AV Center replacement and firewall upgrades this year. He also described ongoing penetration testing and other cybersecurity investments.

On major cost drivers, Hippler cited: Motorola APX Next radios (cellular capability, GPS and over‑the‑air programming), a P25 maintenance increase of about $120,000, software‑assurance renewals and managed detection services. He described some line items as one‑time or co‑terming with prior contracts.

Planned investments: Hippler described initiatives he intends to fund if approved: a 6 GHz wireless transport ring to provide high‑capacity links to outlying stations, backup servers for the city’s file systems, continued expansion of cameras and security systems, and replacement of code‑enforcement software not included in the city’s ERP implementation. He said work to integrate systems around Tyler (the planned ERP) could allow retiring some “one‑off” software and produce future savings.

Council questions and staff responses: Council members asked for a clearer breakdown of the Motorola comparator and why it costs millions; Hippler explained the comparator coordinates channel selection across the radio system and that part of the cost reflects converting hardware to a virtual instance. Asked about city use of artificial intelligence, Hippler said he provided an acceptable‑use policy draft to the mayor and recommended careful, private implementations that avoid sending sensitive data to public models. On code‑enforcement software, Hippler said the division currently uses Edmonds and that integration with Tyler remains a work in progress.

What’s next: Hippler said some costs (for radios and SUA renewals) will abate in following years as contracts co‑term or expire. Council members asked staff for more detail on recurring maintenance costs and how Tyler implementation could reduce duplicative licensing.